Antifriction center-bearing for cars.



PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

J. C. BARBER. ANTIFRIGTION CENTER BEARING FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11.1906.

JOHN C. BARBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANTIFRICTION CENTER-BEARING FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed June ll. 1906- Serial No. 321,153.

To all whom tt may concern:

lie it known that l, .IoHN C. Banana, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ef Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antifrietion (leuter- Bearings for Cars; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full` clear, and exact description of the iuveution` such as will enable others skilled in the art to l which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its especial object to provide an improved antifricthm center bearing for cars, and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure I is a view in front elevation showing the improved center bearing. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the center bearing. with some parts broken away and with some parts sectioned. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line et fr of Fig. 2, some parts being shown in full; and Fig. t is a vertical sect-ion taken on the line tha of Fig. 2.

The numeral l indicates the upper member and 2 the lower member of the center bearing, the former being bolted or otherwise secured to the body bolster 3 of the car, and the latter being bolted or otherwise secured to the truck bolster ll; which holsters are shown in part in Fig. fl. The lower member -2`is formed with a central perforation 5 having, as shown, a surround ing upwardly projecting annular flange t; and the upper member l is provided with a centrally located depending sleeve or hub portion 7 that depends into and works loosely within the said perforation 5. Said lower bearing member 2 is also formed with an up wardly projecting annular flange 8 that extends concentrically with the flange (i, but is located a very considerable distance outward therefrom. Said upper bearing member Il is also formed with a depending annular stop shoulder or rib t) that directly over-lies said flange 8; and said shoulder t) is provided with au outwardly offset depending flange 9 that overlaps and suriounds said `flange 8, as best shown in Fig. 3. The upper bearing member l just outward of its sleeve or hub 7 is, as shown, formed with a clearance channel l0, and the lower bearing member 2 just outward ot its inner flange G is formed with a similar clearance channel Il. The upper bearing member l, between its stop shoulder 9 and clearance channel lO, is formed with a conical roller bearing surface or tread l2 that converges downwardly toward the axis of the hub 7; and the lower bearing member 2, between its outer stop flange 8 and clearance channel .11, is formed with a conical roller bearing surface or tread 13 that converges upward toward the axis of the perforation 5 of the hub 7.

'lruncated conical bearing rollers 14 are interposed between the conical bearing surfaces ]2 and 13 of the bearing members l and 2. These bearing rollers are radially disposed with respect to the axis of the hub 7, and they are of such a taper that they closely fit the said conical bearing surfaces. The stop shoulder' 9 of the bearing member l and the stop flange 8 ol the bearing member 2 engage the outer ends of the rollers 14, and resist the thrust put upon the rollers by the weight of the load and due to the outward divergency of the said rollers and of the two bearing surfaces l2 and 13 with respect to each other. At their inner ends the bearing rollers Ytif are provided with inwardly projecting trunnions l5 that project through and are loosely journaled in a retaining ring flt that works loosely within the clearance grooves l0 and ll of the members l and 2. Pins or cotters 17 are passed through perforations in the inner ends of the trunnions l5, and serve to hold the rollers connected to the said ring lo when the bearing members are separated.

The retaining ring 1G, between the adjacent rollers, is formed with radially-projccting outwardly-flaring spacing arms 11S, which in cross section are double concave. Otherwise stated, the spacing arms 1S, at each vertical face, have concave surfaces that fit the adjacent conical rollers, so that the said rollers are held in true radial disposition with respect to cach other, and are evenly spaced but are permitted to freely rotate. lhe spacing arms therefore afford outwardly diverging conical sockets in which the rollers are loosely journaled. The said arms do not, however, extend either to the bottoms or tops of said rollers, but on the contrary, terminate short thereof so that the said rollers are brought into unrestricted engagement with the opposing conical bearing surfaces ft2 and 13 of the two bearing members. c

'By the above described arrangement of the retaining ring and spacing arms the rollers are not only properly spaced and kept out; of contact with each other under oscillatory movements of the bearing members with respect to each other, but the said rollers throughout their traveling movements are held always in tlue radial line with the common axis of the two conical bearing surfaces l2 and 13. When the bearing mem aers are separated, the retaining ring, together with all the rollers, may be removed therefrom without changing the relative positions of the said ring and rollers. This makes it an easy matter to take apart and put together the center bearing. Furthermore, it prevents displacement of the rollers when the car-body is jacked up, or when the bearing members l and 2 are separated by accident, as when cars are derailed. It will be understood that the ring 16 constitutes a retainer lor the rollers, and that said ring is inter-locked with the said rollers in such manner that the rollers will not be accidentally separated thereirom7 even when the ring and the rollers are removed from between the upper and lower bearing members. This feature is very important because it prevents the rollers from being displaced or lost when the upper and lower center bearing members are separated, and the rollers are removed therefrom. By providing the conical rollers at their small inner ends with trunnions that are journaled to but interloclred with the retaining ring located inward of said rollers, the rounded outer and large ends of said rollers are left free for engagement with the thrust surfaces ot the iianges 8 and 9 of the lower and upper bearing members7 respectively. The retaining ring i6 with its spacing arms lS constitutes a spider' for holdA ing the rollers spaced apart and tor holding the rollers together when the latter are removed l'rom the center bearing or when the upper and lower members ot' the center bearing are separated; but the said retaining ring, without regard to the said spacing arms7 constitutes a roller retainingr device to which the trunnions of the said conical rollers are interlocked but in which said trunnions are journaled. lurthermore7 the center bea-ring above described is ot comparatively small cost, and is in all respects highly etlicient for the purposes had in view.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a center bearing for cars, the combination with lower and upper plates connected with freedom for swiveling motion in respect to each other, having opposing treads for radially disposed conical rollers and thrust anges for the outer ends of said rollers, of conical rollers radially disposed between said treads. which rollers have rounded outer ends abutting the thrust Iianges of said plates, and are provided with trunnions at their inner ends, and a retaining,l ring between the said plates in which ring the trunnions of said rollers are journaled and to which they are interlocked. substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a center bearing for cars, the cmnbination with a pair of bearing plates havingteleseop' ig' hubs, telescoping outer flanges, treads for radially disposed conical rollers, thrust surfaces for the outer ends of said rollers, and a clearance space for a retaining' rin;l vadjacent to their telescoping hubs, of conical rollers radially disposed between said treads, which rollers have rounded outer ends hearing agains. said thrust surfaces, and are provided with trunnions at their inner ends, and a retaining' ring cncir clingthe telescoping hubs of said plates in said clearance space between said plates, in which rino; the trunnions of said rollers are journaled and to which they are interloeked with freedom for a limited radial movement in respect to the ring', substantially as le ilicd.

In testimony whereof I atlx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. BARBER.-

Witnesses z L. W. Bannnn, E. W. WEBB. 

